


Any Girl Loves a Dragon

by HyourinmaruIce



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Dragons, F/M, Fluff, Hair, Sickness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-09
Updated: 2013-07-09
Packaged: 2017-12-18 05:03:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/875911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyourinmaruIce/pseuds/HyourinmaruIce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sick little girls don't love Papas as much as they love castles and dragons</p>
            </blockquote>





	Any Girl Loves a Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> Made this for Winterelf86 really, but inspiration came from many places.
> 
> I also followed the rumbellew challenge prompt so that might be why it’s not as fluffy…. if tempted, I might make this part of my Spinning TopHat verse and that would mean the fluffy is just terrible. (that and Grace’s age might be off…)

She was doing the laundry when Rumpelstiltskin told her he was leaving. She shouldn’t be surprised, he had been preparing for the past few days. He ran about his castle like he didn’t know how to use magic, picking up various items and tossing them in the air for them to disappear in a cloud of purple smoke. It was almost like he was prepping the castle itself, which was highly unlikely because so few people knew where the castle was that the idea of someone coming was ridiculous.

So she wasn’t supposed to be surprised when he came bouncing up to her, in his goddang leather pants and boots that reached mid-thigh, telling her he was leaving by sundown and wouldn’t be returning for a few days. Yet she was because his preparations made her think it would be weeks without him… without his giggles and jokes to keep her company.

She felt lonely already.

She finished the laundry, it was mainly his vests that had been cleaned today, and hurried inside to set the tea on the table that he had asked for before he left. It was as she set the tea set down, the chamomile brewed to the strength he liked, that she noticed his wistful look.

“Something wrong Rumpel?” She asked quietly. They had been on names bases for a while now, nicknames once he had caught her after she fell off the ladder.

“Nothing Belle, just a thought,” then he gently took the tea cup she was preparing out of her hands and gulped down the boiling liquid, “I best be off,”

And then he left in a puff of smoke. She stood for a few seconds, bewildered at the display she had seen, and then slowly put up the tea-set. It was a beautiful tea-set really, with fine porcelain decorated with leaves and vines…. Except for Rumpel’s cup that had a small chip in the rim. She had no idea why he preferred that cup… well she had an idea, but she wasn’t about to believe it.

It was a day later when a knock was heard. She was in the library, putting away her books that she had read, when the knock alerted her. Without a second thought, she descended the stairs and opened the door.

A man stood in the doorway.

“Hello?” She asked, unsure as to the man’s nature.

“Is this Rumpelstiltskin’s residence?” The man was tall with a long coat and top hat; gloves adorned his hands as he wrung them before her.

“May I ask who would like that knowledge?” Belle chose her words carefully; she didn’t like strangers showing up.

“Jefferson… I sorta need his help,” The man named Jefferson smiled at her, his teeth relatively clean.

Jefferson… she had never heard of a man named Jefferson…., “Alright, come in. Rumpelstiltskin might not be back for a couple days but the least I can do is offer you tea,” Belle smiled back, opening the door a bit wider so the man could step in and out of the cold.

“Thank you miss, I do love tea,” His smile was disarming really, genuine and full of warmth, “and that’s a lovely dress. The color matches your eyes,”

She blinked and looked down. The dress was comfortable, meant to be easy to work in… and Rumpelstiltskin had made it for her. Did the color really match her eyes? She put it out of her mind and went about making tea.

“Why do you need his help, if I may ask?” Belle set the tea tray down at the table, looking over to see the man had already sat down a chair. There were two chairs at the table now; he sat in the one at the head of the table.

“My daughter is sick, I just want her healthy,” He muttered beneath his breath, “Just healthy,”

Belle nodded, “I’m sure she’ll be fine,”

Jefferson snorts, “Lucky me he can’t help but provide for kids… I’m just lucky I knew where he lived,”

Belle blinked again, her mind derailing and going off on tangents, “Can’t help but provide for kids?”

Jefferson gives her a mildly condescending look, “How long have you worked here?”

Belle indignantly sets the tea cup down in front of him, “A few years now, believe it or not. And while I know he can’t hurt a child, not being able to help but provide for them is a bit of a stretch,”

“I take it he hasn’t told you about his son yet,” Jefferson looks mildly amused at her inconvenience; she’s beginning to get annoyed with the visiting man.

Just as she opens her mouth to retort, her mind firmly on the fact that Rumpelstiltskin has a son, the doors to the main hall are flung open, “Ah Jefferson!”

It’s Rumpelstiltskin in his weather garb, his cloak hanging limply around his shoulders. Belle feels the chill of the air outside brush against her skin and imagines that she has goose bumps.

Jefferson stands up and bows, “Rumpelstiltskin… I need your help,”

The doors close and Rumpelstiltskin waves his hands in a dismissive manner, “Yes, yes. You want a cure for a sickness and what not. Very commendable but you know there is to be a price yes?”

Jefferson looks stricken, but he nods all the same. Belle inches towards the exit, hoping to give them some privacy when Rumpelstiltskin suddenly looks her way and she notices that his smile is not the usual ‘This deal is final’ but is that of the goofy variety she had gotten to see when he was actually happy, “My price is one trip! You take me on one trip, and my house maid because good help is hard to find and I shall not be traveling without it, and I shall give you this!” he pulls a bottle out of the air, blue liquid swirling inside.

Jefferson frowns, “I don’t realm jump anymore Rumpel, you said you respected that,”

“Who said anything about realm jumping?” Rumpelstiltskin bounced on his toes and moved around Jefferson as he headed towards Belle, she could only watch. The bottle was tossed in her direction and as she reached out to catch it, fearful it might spill its contents, the bottle disappeared.

“I… don’t understand. You said….” Jefferson looked so confused that Belle almost felt sorry for him, but it wasn’t that hard to understand. Rumpelstiltskin would likely be going on a carriage ride or something of the sort.

“A trip! Not a magical one, unless you want me to teleport the both of you and that isn’t about to happen!” Rumpelstiltskin turns on one heel with a giggle and spreads his hands, “Do we have a deal?”

Belle chuckles softly under her breath and watches as realization crosses the other man’s features, “Yes! Yes, we do,”

Rumpelstiltskin holds out his hand, something she has never seen him do before, and the man named Jefferson immediately takes it in a firm shake, “Then shall we be going?”

With a grin, Rumpelstiltskin turns and points at Belle, dressing her more appropriately for the weather, and then turns back, “By all means dearie!”

__

The carriage ride is short, to Belle’s surprise but she’s sure magic is involved, Jefferson giving her a brief explanation of what they pass as they go along. They pass through Rumpelstiltskin’s domain and eventually pull into her father’s neighbor’s domain, Regina. She had never seen Regina, but she was sure she was powerful.

They stop in the middle of the forest and Rumpelstiltskin helps her out of the carriage as Jefferson watches amused.

“Grace?” He says once they are both situated in front of the small house he called home. The door is yanked open and all Belle can see is a blur of white hitting the man in the chest.

“Papa! Where were you?” The bundle pulls away to reveal itself as a little girl, probably around six years of age.

“I was getting you some medicine sweetie,” Jefferson picks the little girl up and wraps his hands around her waist as her legs go around his middle and her arms around his neck.

“Oh,” She burrows deep into her father’s chest.

“Rumpelstiltskin, and…,” He pauses and Belle smiles.

“Belle, my name is Belle,”

“Belle,” He smiles back, “Meet my Grace,”

“Hello Grace!” Rumpelstiltskin giggles with glee, “I’ve wanted to meet you. Did you know your papa used to work for me?”

The little girl wiggles and her papa sets her down. She rushes to Rumpelstiltskin and hugs his legs, “Yes, he told me all about the adventures he had when he was working for you! Are you going to heal me?”

Rumpelstiltskin gently pries the little girls away and then bends down, bopping her nose with one finger, “Of course, anything for an old friend,”

Jefferson’s expression is that of incredulous while Belle can resist giggling at the thought that Rumpelstiltskin might have someone besides her to talk to. Then she sobers, “Is this where our trip was going or did we just stop here?” She inquires.

“Just stop Belle,” Rumpelstiltskin picks the little girls up and swings her around, grinning. The little girl squeals and kicks her legs.

“Wheeeeeee!” She yells as he begins to set her down.

“Come along then,” Rumpelstiltskin opens the carriage door and Jefferson moves in.

“What are you doing?” He sounds slightly panicked, worry creasing his brow.

Belle had to wonder the same thing, “I’m cheering a sick little girl up by showing her a castle, now if you don’t mind….” Rumpelstiltskin hopped in the carriage.

His preparations that had lasted the past few days began to make sense to Belle and she suppresses the rising grin as she steps into the carriage herself. Jefferson is not far behind, chattering the whole while in nervous need.

She looks at the little girl, who has pressed herself against Rumpelstiltskin and wrapped around his left arm, and smiles, “Have you ever seen a castle before?”

“Nuh uh! This is gunna be the greatest day ever!” She giggles and Belle has to note the genuineness to the smile Rumpelstiltskin has.

Jefferson looks like a nervous wreck.

___

“Is that a pony? Can I ride it? What’s that! Oh that’s so cool!” The chattering of the little girl continued as Belle poured Jefferson his twelfth glass of tea.

“You should relax Jefferson, he’s not about to hurt her,” She hides a small smirk behind her own teacup; Rumpelstiltskin had given her the day off.

“Grace is not becoming attached to this place. Grace is not becoming attached to this place. Grace…” The chant continued and Belle refused to roll her eyes. He was just a concerned father.

That, and she thought Rumpelstiltskin hoisting a little girl up on his shoulders and showing her the Dark Castle was beyond adorable.

“So this is where you keep all the gold?” Belle hears as they make their way further from the main hall and deeper inside. She sighs as she stands up and brushes off her dress, she had better follow them or Jefferson is likely to have a heart attack.

“Indeed it is, though don’t try to steal any! I have baby dragons hiding in there,”

“You have real dragons! That’s so cool! Papa said dragons don’t exist anymore,”

As she looks down the hall leading away from the main one, she has to cover her mouth lest she let out a laugh. Rumpelstiltskin is sitting in the floor midst a few stands of gold as the little girl braids them into his hair.

“Your papa has never seen a friend of mine that goes by the name Maleficent. She turns into a dragon,”

The little girl squeals, “Can I see her?”

“’Fraid not, we’re not on speaking terms as of the moment,”

Belle feels a twinge of relief and for some reason, it brings her guilt.

Rumpelstiltskin pushes the little girl’s hands away and picks her up again, “I can show you a baby dragon though,”

The girl sits atop his shoulders and runs her hands through his hair, “Okay, can I finish braiding your hair later?”

He nods absentmindedly as he climbs the stairs; Belle trails the two with a Cheshire cat grin on her face. The little girl is still twirling locks of his hair when they reach the top step and Belle resolutely ignores the jealous feeling creeping up in her breast. She is not jealous of a six year old.

“You have dragons all the way up here?”

“Indeed I do, and they’ll gobble you up so best to keep you on my shoulders,”

“Alright,” The little girl hugs him awkwardly as they continue on down a long hall; Belle has never been this way before… She wonders why.

Rumpelstiltskin opens the door and glances behind him with a smile that Belle knows is for her. Of course he knew she was following, he wasn’t stupid. She would like him considerably less if he was.

“Oh my god!” The little girl wiggles on his shoulders and Belle swears his laugh is an octave lower than usual. She points, “Can we name that one Sally?”

“Sally?” He asks and his eyes turn upwards to he might catch a glimpse of the little one on his shoulders.

“Yeah, that’s a good name,” She pouts at him and Belle sees before he does that he’ll end up naming whatever creature is in the room Sally. She can’t see in the room, but she knows.

He sighs, “Sally it is then,”

The little girls squeals and he begins to retrace his steps, leaving the door open and smirking at Belle, “Hello dearie, lost your way,”

“She followed us silly! Papa probably asked her to,” The little girl says confidently as she settles her hands in his hair once more. Rumpelstiltskin snorts at her.

“Too true,”

Belle is quite aware he left the door open…. He left the door open for her with a note appearing in purple.

“Pick one, name it Sally, and keep it away from the others,”

She can’t help but giggle as she does what he asks. They are baby dragons after all, Belle wonders where he might have gotten them.

__

Rumpelstiltskin eyes the stairs and waits for Belle to descend them. He knows she was excited and he knows he probably appeared too soft, but at the moment he doesn’t care. He wants to see Belle’s smile as she totes a baby dragon around and calls it Sally. He wants to see her beam.

Because she’s beautiful when she does and he doesn’t care to resist the twinge in his heart at the thought of never being able to touch her.

She appears a few seconds later with a baby dragons curled around her shoulders and its tail as a crown.

“One seems to like you dearie,” He smirks as he sits in his chair and waits for her to go make tea, which she does with a smile.

She’s beaming and he can’t resist the small smile that comes to his face.

“Indeed, she keeps answering to Sally so that must be her name,”

He raises an eyebrow, “Her?”

Belle snorts at him and he can’t help but be delighted at her look, “Obviously, can’t you tell?”

He shrugs. No, he can’t, but he’s not going to tell Belle that.

Suddenly, as if she’s a pouncing lioness, her hands are in his hair.

“Dearie?”

“Hmm?” She mumbles and ignores the dragon curling ever tightly around her neck.

“What are you doing?”

“Feeling your hair?” It’s more of a question than a statement and he wonders if she’s half asleep.

“And?” He whispers more to himself than her because it’s taking all his restraint not to pull her down. She would keep in contact with his hair of course, but other things would ensue and he can’t take things that far.

“It’s just as soft as I imagined,” He’s going to have a heart attack.


End file.
